Lump-breaker roll for papermaking machines



May 1, 1951 E. w. CLEM LUMP-BREAKER ROLL FOR PAPERMAKING MACHINES Filed June 22, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTQR EVERETT WCLEM 7 BY 6 WWW ATTORNEY May 1, 1951 E. w. CLEM 2,550,714

LUMP-BREAKER ROLL FOR PAPERMAKING MACHINES Filed June 22, 1946 -v 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 v E NTOR 5. 4 v661 R .6 M

ATTORNEY May 1, 1951 E. w. CLEM 2,550,774

7 LUMP-BREAKER'ROLL FOR PAPERMAKING MACHINES Filed June 22, 1946 $5 Sheets$heet 3 I N VENTOR 6 EVERETT WQC EM may Ea 4W ATTORNEY Patented May I, 1951 LUMP-BREAKER ROLL FOR PAPERMAKING MACHINES Everett W. Glem, Shrewsbury, Mass., assignor to Rice Barton Corporation, Worcester, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application June 22, 1946, Serial No. 678,563

7 Claims. 1 e

The present invention relates to paper making machines, and more particularily to a lumpbreaker roll used in connection with the couch roll of a Fourdrinier machine.

As is well known in the paper making art, the couch roll of a Fourdrinier machine is'disposed at the so-called wet end of the machine at a point between the suction boxes and the press rolls. The couch roll used in the modern Fourdrinier machine is frequently provided with suction to remove the water from the pulp web which is carried over the couchroll by means of an endless screen belt or apron. The pulp web, after leaving the couch roll, is fully formed into a wet paper web which then passes through the usual press rolls to the dry end of the machine.

The use of a lump-breaker roll in connection with a couch roll is well known in the art and the former element usually takes the form of 'a lightweight hollow roll having a soft rubber covering, and ordinarily this roll rests, under the force of gravity, on the pulp web at a point above the couch roll. The couch roll is power driven, but the conventional lump-breaker roll derives its rotation simply from its frictional contact with the moving web. It is the function of this lumpbreaker roll to smooth out or crush up any lumps provided with adjustable counter-balancing Weights for the purpose of providing means whereby its eiiective downward pressure against the pulp web may be varied.

I-Ieretofore considerable difficulty has been experienced in the use of such a lump-breaker roll, because the need for always driving itby frictional contact with the moving web imposes considerable strain on the web, even though the roll is of lightweight material; the principal difiiculty coming from the fact that the pulp web at this stage still retains considerable water and hence is frequently not strong enough, structurally, to drive the roll without danger of breakage. This difficulty is, of course, great-1v magnified whenever the roll is started from rest as the drag of the roll upon the pulp web is oftentimes sufiicient to sever, or greatly damage the web.

It is, therefore. an object of the present invention to overcome the above noted difficulties by providing a lump-breaker roll whose rotation may be initiated and in whole or in part maintained by means other than said rolls frictional contact with the pulp web.

A' further object of this invention is to provide such a roll with means whereby the roll may be driven directly by the couch roll whenever the need arises, such means being under the direct control of an operator.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a lump-breaker roll with means, remotely controlled, for raising the roll a desired distance above the couch roll during the operation of both rolls.

With the above and other objects in view, as will hereinafter appear, the invention comprises the arrangements of parts hereinafter set forth and illustrated in the accompanying drawings of a preferred" embodiment of the invention from breaker roll in its elevated position.

3 represents an end elevation of the machine parts disclosed in Fig. 1.

Fig. i represents a larger scale partial top plan view of said parts, with certain of said parts shown in section.

Fig. 5 represents a front elevation of the lumpbreaker bearing mounts with junction caps in section and disclosing the fluid supply system.

Fig. 6 is a sectional View taken substantially along line 66 of Fig. 4. Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures.

In the embodiment of the invention selected for illustration, l0 and l I represent the side frame members of a couch r011 assembly. Rotatably mounted on the members Ill and H is a shaft l2 which is held in place upon the members It! and H by means of the usual bearing blocks I3 and it. Shaft .12 carries the usual couch roll l5 about which is trained an endless screen belt or apron it which functions in the usual mannor to carry a pulp web I I over the couch roll for the purpose of removing water therefrom. The couch roll l5 may be provided with the usual suction means (not herein shown) for removing water from the pulp web.

Mounted respectively upon the bearing blocks i3 and It are a pair of lump-breaker supporting members I 8 andlfi each of which has formed on its top portion a pair of spaced cheeks l8, l8 having trunnion-receiving notches 2U, 2U,

formed therein. Rockably mounted between each pair of cheeks i8, i8 is an arm2l having trunnion shafts 22 and 23 extending from opposite sides thereof for reception in the notches 29, 2d to support said arm. The forward end portion of each of the arms 2 i, only one of which is shown herein, is provided with a bearing head 24 in which an end portion of a lump-breaker shaft 25 is rotatably journaled. Carried upon the shaft 25, and rotatable therewith, is a lumpbreaker roll 25 which is provided with the usual soft rubber covering 21. Projecting backwardly from each of the members 25, is an arm 23 upon which is adjustably mounted a'counter weight 29. lengthwise of the arms 28 for the purpose of adjusting the effective pressure which theilumpbreaker roll 25, under the force of gravity, may exert upon the pulp web i'l. As is usual in such lump-breaker roll operation, the present roll 26 is adapted to bear lightly upon the pulp web ii and to be frictionally driven thereby. Thus, the roll 25 is eiiective to smooth out any lumps or imperfections that may be encountered on the surface of the pulp web will, of course, require the roll to exert various pressures upon the web. As above described, such pressure changes may be effected by the adjustment of the weights 29.

As previously noted, conditions frequently arise under which it is highly desirable to relieve the pulp web, in whole or in part, of the strain of driving the lump-breaker roll by frictional contact therewith; furthermore, under certain conditions, such as in starting up the lump-breaker I- roll from a rest position, said roll should be slightly spaced from the wet pulp web. In order to attain these objectives the present lump-breaker roll 26 is provided at each end thereof with an expandable cylindrical element which is adapted, when expanded, to engage the periphery of the couch roll :5 beyond the edges of the screen belt i6 thereby to elevate the roll 22'; and at the same time to effect a direct driving relation between the upper roll 2'5 and the lower roll l5. Thus, the couch roll it may directl drive the lumpbreaker roll 2% through the medium of these expandable elements.

More specifically, each of these expandable elements comprises, a hub member as from which extends a pair of spaced circular disks 3! and 32, the latter of which elements is adapted to abut an end portion of the roll 2%. This hub is secured to the shaft 25 by means of a key 38a, or any other suitable means. Bonded, or otherwise suitably secured, to the inner face portions of the elements 3! and 32, as at 33, 33, is an expandable annular diaphragm 33' which may be constructed of rubber or other such suitable elastic material. Mounted within the diaphragm 33, and secured to the opposite inner walls of the disks 3! and .32, as at 34', 34', is a rigid annular bafile'34 which is spaced from the diaphragm 33 thereby to provide an air tight fiuid-receiving chamber therebetween. The shaft 25 is provided at each end thereof with an axial bore 35 which communicates at its inner end with a radial bore 35 which in turn is in communication with an annular groove 3! provided about the shaft 25 within the confines of the disks 3i and 32. The hub 39 is provided with a radial aperture which is located so as to'communicate with the annular groove 37 and which has secured therein a tube 38. This tube 38 extends radially from the hub through the bailie 34 for The weights 29, are adapted to be shifted Different conditions 1 the purpose of communicating with the air chamber formed between the baflie and the diaphragm 33. Thus, it is to be understood that each of the diaphragms 33, 33 may be expanded by means of a fluid introduced into the axial bores 35, 35 of the shaft 25. It is the primary purpose of the baffle 34 to provide, in conjunctionzwiththe diaphragm 33, an air chamber having as little volumetric capacity as possible, there- "by to make for a more sensitive control over the expansion and contraction of the diaphragms 33, -33.

In certain conditions of operation the lumpbreaker roll is adapted to be frictionally driven by means of the pulp web I"! and thus the diaphragms 33, "33 are constructed so that they do not extend beyond the periphery of the roll 28 when they are in their deflated condition (see right hand diaphragm of Fig. 4). Referring particularly to Fig. 3, it is to be seen that the screen belt 16 does not extend to the. extreme end portions of the couch roll l5:bu,t,':on the contrary, the edge portions thereof arespace-d inwardly from the ends of the; couch roll, thus providing substantially wide wire-free .m'arginal portions l5, l5 onthe couch roll. The pulp-web, of course, does not extend beyond the edges of the screen belt 46. Consequently, when the diaphragms 33, 33 are expanded, by admission of fluid, such-:as compressed air, to .the'respective annular chambers enclosed thereby, the resultingsincrease of each diaphragms radius causes its engagement with the Lmder1ying"wire-free marginal portion' E5 of the'couch roll 15 thereby to raise the lump-breaker roll off the pulp web IT and simultaneously to couple the roll '26 with the couch roll so that the latter will frictionally drive the'roll '26. Fig. '2 illustrates this latter condition, it being understood that such elevation of'thelump breaker roll is permitted, by the rocking of its support'arms 2|, 2| about the axisprovided by the seating of trunnions 22, 23 in the notches 20, 20.

In orderselectively to control the inflation and deflation of the diaphragms 33, 33, means remote from the lump-breaker roll for this purpose are shown by Fig. 5 in the form of flexible fluid-conducting conduits 39, 39, each of which is connected with one of a pair of junction caps 40, 40 as at 4l,'4|. Each of these junction caps 40 is in turn disposed over one end of the shaft 25 and upon one of the heads 24 thereby to permit relative rotation between the caps 40, 40 and the shaft 25.

The other ends of the conduits 39 extend away from the caps for connection to a valve box 42 which in turn is in communication with a supply source 43 of fluid under pressure. A two-way valve 44 is provided on the valve box 42 so that an operator may control the expansion and contraction of the diaphragms 33, 33 by opening or closing the valve. This valve mechanism may be of a standard commercial type and thus the details thereof need not be described herein.

Referring to Fig. 2, the lump-breaker roll 26 is illustrated with its diaphragms 33, 33 inflated and engaging the couch roll to the end that the lumpbreaker roll proper is raised off the pulp web IT. However, the diaphragms 33, 33 may be so controlled by the valve mechanism that the roll 26 may be eased oi the web I? without entirely losing contact therewith. Thus, the efiective pressure exerted upon the web by the roll 26 may be very closely regulated by the use of the present mechanism. Of course, as soon as the dialatter element becomes efiective to drive the lump-breaker roll in a direct manner.

It is obvious from the above description that the present mechanism provides :a most efilcient means for raising a lump-breaker roll off the pulp web as well as to provide a means whereby the frictional drive of the web against the lumpbreaker roll may be supplemented or supplanted entirely by means of a direct couple between the couch roll and the lump-breaker roll.

I claim:

1. In a paper making machine having a couch roll, a wire belt trained over said couch roll for carrying a sheet being formed, means to rotate said couch roll, a lump-breaker roll above said couch roll for operation on said sheet, means to "support said lump-breaker roll for free rotation about its longitudinal axis and for free movement towards and away from said couch roll, said lump-breaker roll normally being adapted to engage the upper surface of said sheet, annular expansible means carried adjacent the opposite end portions of said lump-breaker roll for engaging, when expanded, the periphery of said couch roll near each end thereof to move said lump-breaker roll away from said couch roll and simultaneously to eifect a direct drive between said couch roll and said lump-breaker roll, and

normally to engage the upper surface of said sheet and to be frictionallv driven thereby, means 7 effective to move said rolls relatively away from each other and simultaneously to couple said lump-breaker roll with said couch roll so that the former roll may be directly driven by the latter roll. said last mentioned means comprising, an expansible cylindrical element adapted, when expanded, to so move and couple said rolls, and fluid means selectively to control the expansion and contraction of said expansible cylindrical element.

3. In a paper making machine having a couch roll, a wire belt trained over said couch roll for carrying a sheet being formed, means to rotate said couch roll, a lump-breaker roll above said couch roll for operation on said sheet, means to support said lump-breaker roll for free rotation about its longitudinal axis and for free movement toward and away from said couch roll, said lumpbreaker roll normally being adapted to engage the upper surface of said sheet, expansible means adjacent the opposite end portions of said lumpbreaker roll for engaging, when expanded, the periphery of said couch roll near each end thereof for moving said lump-breaker roll away from said a couch roll and simultaneously effecting a direct drive between said couch roll and said lumpbreaker roll, said expansible means comprising a flexible cylindrical diaphragm carried rigidly upon and coaxially of said lump-breaker roll, means disposed axially of said lump-breaker roll for supplying fluid to said diaphragms, and means including a valve disposed remote from said lumpbreaker roll for directing the flow of fluid to said 6 diaphragms thereby selectively to control the expansion and contraction of said diaphragms.

4. In a paper making machine having a traveling apron upon which a wet pulp web or sheet is formed, the combination with a driven couch roll over which said apron is trained and having 7 an end portion extending beyond the edge of said apron, of a lump-breaker roll for operation on said web or sheet above said couch roll, means for supporting said lump-breaker roll for rotative movement about its axis and for substantially vertical movement, bodily, toward and away from said couch roll, an annular diaphragm substantially concentric with and carried by said lumpbreaker roll, in overlying relation to said extending end portion of said couch roll, and means for inflating said diaphragm to a diameter slightly greater than that of said lump-breaker roll, thereby to raise the latter relative to said web or sheet, and to obtain its frictional drive, in whole or in part, from said couch roll.

5. In a paper making machine having a traveling apron upon which a wet pulp web or sheet is formed, the combination with a driven couch roll over which said apron is trained, of a lumpbreaker roll for operation on said web or sheet above said couch roll, means for supporting said lump-breaker roll for rotative movement about its axis and for substantially vertical movement, bodily, toward and away from said couch roll, one of said rolls having an end portion extending beyond the edge of said apron, an annular diaphragm substantially concentric with and carried by the other of said rolls in opposed relation to said extending end portion, and means for inflating said diaphragm to a diameter slightly greater than that of its associated roll, thereby to raise, relative to said sheet, said lump-breaker roll, and to obtain the latters frictional drive, in whole or in part, from said couch roll.

6. In a paper making machine having a traveling apron upon which a wet pulp web or sheet is formed, the combination with a driven couch roil over which said apron is trained and having at each end a portion extending beyond said aprons edges, of a lump-breaker roll for operation on said web or sheet above said couch roll, means for supporting said lump-breaker roll for rotative movement about its axis and for substantially vertical movement, bodily, toward and away from said couch roll, two annular diaphragms, both substantially concentric with and carried by said lump-breaker roll, and overlying respectively the extending end portions of said couch roll, means for inflating both diaphragms to a diameter slightly greater than that of said lump-breaker roll, thereby to raise the latter relative to said web or sheet, and to obtain its frictional drive, in whole or in part, from said couch roll.

7. In a paper making machine having a traveling apron upon which a wet pulp web or sheet is formed, the combination with a driven couch roll over which said apron is trained, of a lump-breaker roll for operation on said web or sheet above said couch roll, means for supporting said lumpbreaker roll for rotative movement about its axis and for substantially vertical movement, bodily, toward and away from said couch roll, one of said rolls having end portions extending beyond both edges of said apron, two annular diaphragms substantially concentric with and carried by the other of said rolls in opposed relation to said extending end portions, and means for inflating said diaphragms to a diameter slightly greater than that of their associated roll, thereby to raise, rel- 7' s-v ative tosaidsheet, said lump-breaker roll, and. to UNITED-STATES PATENTS obtain the latters frictional'drive; in whole or Numberv Name Date. inpart, from said couchroll. 582 3 Witham EVERETTW- CLEM- 5 131L434 Clements May 30, 1933 n 1,953,060 Berry Apr. 3, 193; REFERENCES CITED 2,220,853 Sinclair Nov. 5, 1940 The foliowing references are of record in the 2,271,351- Spencer Jan. 27, 1942 file of; this patent: 2,354,174 Schmitter ,July '18, 1944 

